Engine-cooling system



June 14 1927. 1,632,582

L. P. BARLOW l ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 30, 1926 W/l/l/Z HHH-U Patented June' 14,`\ 1927.

UNITED STATES LESTER P. BARLOW, OF DETROIT, HICHIGAN.

ENGINE-COOLING SYSTEM.

Application led December 30, 1928. serial No. 157,900.

This invention relates to improvements in steam oi; vapor cooling systems for internal combustion engines of the suction and compression type, as usually employed for automotive and other purposes.

In accordance with myv invention, I utilize a portion of the suction produced by the engine during the operation thereof to automatically supply liquids to the c linder 'ackets of the engine to compensate or the iquids going oil as steam 1n said jackets, and thus avoid the use of any force pumps,

ears, shafts, etc. for forcing the liquidsy to t e water jackets, as in steam or va r4 coole ing systems heretofore designed. doing away with pumps and substituting the vacuum lift principle for supplying liquids to the jackets, the amounts supplied to the jackets will be in direct proportion to the amounts goin olf as steam in the jackets without re ar to the speed of the engine. In doing t is I overcome one of the great difficulties of steam cooling, namely, in not oversupplying the jackets with liquids at high speeds of. the engine, or when the engine is idling arnd not under load as in automobiles when coasting down long grades. With the elimination ofv force pumps and their necessary driving gears and shafts and employing the vacuum lift principle of my invention, the 'silent operation of the s engine will be greatly improved', and moreover the cost of the assem l and its installation will be greatly reduce A further object of my invention is to provide a quick snap acting valve for interxnittently opening and closing the suction and vent ports, respectively, o the vacuum lift tank, thereby uickly opening and closing such portsat e instant necessary and not destroyin the. efficiency of the engine earbureting conditions or supplying more than the desired amount of air to the motor.

Other and further ob'ects of my invention will appear from t e following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Fi 1 is a diagrammatic view of an terna combustion engine halving a vapor or steam cooling vacuum lift principle of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the vacuum lift tank to show the quick acting, float actuated valve mechanism therein; and

ini system embodying the Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of a fitting which may be connected with the vent port of the vacuum lift tank.

i In Fig. 1, 1 indicates ain internal combustion engine of the suction and com ression type, as employed on motor vehic es, and having a water jacket 2 about the cylinders thereof. A steam dome 3 is connected with the jacket 2 and extends afbovethe normal level a of the liquids therein.

Associated with theen ine is a condenser 4, which may be iii the orin of the usual automobile radiator with its upper and lower tanks 5, 6 and its interposed core structure a-s in radiator design. A conduit 7 connectsl the steam dome 3 with the upper tank 5 of the condenser so as to convey steam from the dome to the condenser, in which the steam is condensed as it passes down through the condenser to be returned as liquid to the jacket 2 through the supply and reserve reservoir 8.

The reservoir 8 is located below the water jacket 2 and is connected by a conduit 9 with the lower tank 6 of the condenser, so as to convey the condensate from the condenser into the reservoir. This lower tank 6 is provided with a vent 10 open to the atmosphere so that any air in the condenser 4 may escape as the steam enters the same. The reservoir 8 is provided with a filler neck 11, normally closed by a cap in which is a vent 12, also open to the atmosphere.

A second tank 13 is located a'bove the reservoir 8 and is so positioned with respect to the dome 3 that t e tank 13 extends above and below the water level a in the dome. A conduit 14 connects the bottom of the rcservoir 8 with the portion of the tank 13` above the liquid level a therein while a conduit 15 connects the bottom 4of the tank 13- with the liquid intake 16 of the 'acket 2, such intake being preferably at t e lower portion of the jacket, as shown in Fig. 1. A check valve 17 is located in the conduit 15 to prevent suction in the tank 13 from withdrawing water from the jacket 2 during the operation of the system.

As shown in Fig. 2, thef top wall of the tank 1`3 is provided with a valve housing 18 having opgositely disposed ports 19, 20, the former ing connected by conduit 21 with the suction side of the motor or engine 1 in the particular assembly shown in ig. 1. This is accomplished by connecting the conduit 21 with the fuel intake manifold or conduit 22 of the engine so that there will always be a suction on this conduit regardless of the position of the throttle valve (not shown) of the carbureter 23. 4

The housing 18 is provided with a chamber 24 connecting the ports 19, 20 with the interior of the tank 13. An endwise movable plug valve 25 is located in this chamber so as to intermittently open and close the ports 19, 20. Depending from the housing 18 is a bracket 26 to the lower end ot which is pivoted a trigger lever 27 having a slight lost motion connection (piu and slot at its upper end with the valve 25 interme iate its ends, as shown in said Fig. 2.

Located in the tank 13 is a plun er 28 arranged substantially at right-ang es to the trigger 27 and having one end hearing ainst the ,trigger adjacent its fulcruni.

e opposite end of the plunger 28 has a Sliding fit in a socketed member 29, which is pivoted at 30 to the upright wall of the tank 13. .A coil spring 31 surrounds the plunger 28 between a ange thereon and the, outer end qf the socketed member 29 to con stantly urge or force the plunger against the tri ger 27. A float 32 is located in the tank an is suspended from the plunger 28 forwarid of the'spring 31 bv a rofl 33. which has a slight lost motion connection (pin and Slot) with the plunger 28, as shown.

Port 20 is open to vent 'the tank 13 in the rising and falling of the iioat 32. The valve 25 is moved back and forth to intermittently open and close the ports 19, 20. When the port 19 is open, suction is created in the tank by the engine and serves to lift water into said tank from the reservoir 8. The

latter has a size or capacitv suiicient to hold,

a relatively large body of water so as to aid in reducing the heat of the condensate entering the reservoir from the `condenser and thus permit liquids to be drawn from the reservoir to the tank 13 at a higher level by suction. The large body of water held by the reservoir 8 also allows for the makeup of the loss of liquid from the system by nat- A ural evaporation.

The water entering the tank 13 raises the float 32 and, when the maximum level is reached in the tank, the valve 25 is moved uickly to close the suction port 19 and open t e vent 20. thereby allowing the water in the tank to flow b gravity into the engine jacket 2. When rst placin the system in operation, the action describe repeatsas fast as the tank 13 can fill and empty until the ackets 2are filled to approximately the evel a in Fig. 1. Thereafter, when the level in the jackets 2 is lowered as by steam being generated in the jacket, the corresponding level in the tank 13 also lowers to t extent, thereby allowing the iioat 32 to recede and elect the throwing of the valve 25 1,ea2,5ea

to place suction on the tank 13 and thereby lift the required amount of li uid from the reservoir 8 to make u for the oss by steam in the jacket 2. W en this happens the tank 13 is' afain vented and the liquids so lifted allowe to flow to the jacket 2 to replenish the liquids going off in steam. This action repeats itself during the steaming of the system, and serves to maintain a substantially constant level in the jackets so that no opportunity is afforded for boiling away of the water to overheat the engine. After the jackets 2 have been once filled with liquids in the manner described. and the engine stopped, water remains in the jackets 2 to substantially the level as shown, solthat on starting the motor, the iloat action. does not come into play until after the vaporizin point of the cooling li( uid has been reache'. and the level a lowere When the tank 13 is Iilled, the level of the water is approximately at b, and the ioat 32 then holds the plungt-r 28 above the fulcrum of the trigger 27. 'lhe spring 31 is thus allowed to exert its outward pressure on the trigger to hold the valve V25 in position closing the suction port 19, as shown in Fi 2. 'Ihe suction of the motor will also ai in holding the valve in this position. As the tank 13 empties into the jackets 2, the Hoat 32 does not immediately drop with the receding liquid level but is held u by the tension of the spring 31. When t e liquid in the tank recedes -to the approximate level indicated by c, then the Weight of the float 32 is suiiicient to overcome the tension of the spring 31, thereby drawing the plunger 28 down past the fulcrum of the tri ger. In this movement, the spring-31 is slig tly compressed as the plunger 28 passes the center of the fulcrum and expands when below the fulcrum so as to eli'ect Ithe quick snap movement required to close the vent 20 by the valve 25 and open the vacuum port 19 for a refilling of the tank.

To limit the raising and lowering of the Q float 32, suitable stops 34, 35 may be emplgied either directly on the float or on the ta or between the trigger 27 and its plunger 28, as shown in Fig. 2. The stops 34, 35, when on the trig er 27 as shown in Fig. 2, are immediately a ove and below the respective maximum limits of the up and down movements of the plunger 28.

In Fig. 2, I have shown the port 20 in direct communication with the atmosphere,` there being a suitable air screen fitting 36 for the same. When this vacuum lift system is employed in combination with heavy duty motor tractors or trucks, Where the motor is operatin at its maximum and imparting a great vo ume of heat to its cooling iquid, a hack pressure may develop vat the` condenser. This back pressure will tend to depress the water level a, and such depresas above described.

EIO

sion effect would resist the ilow of the liquids from tank 13 to the jackets 2. To overcome this back ressure or neutralize its elfect, I connect t 1e vent passage 2 0 of the tank 13 to the conduit 7 allowing steam to liow in this passage instead of free air.V This neutralizes the pressure in tank 13 and the jacket 2. To accomplish this, I may provide a' valve fitting as shown in Fig. 3. IThis fitting is attached to the vent port 20 and contains an endwise movable plug valve 37 having a surrounding groove 38 between its ends and desifrned to be brought into register with either the air vent passage 39 or the passage 40 which leads into the steam conduit 7. When thc groove 38 is in re ister with the passage 39, the system` wil be vented to the atmosphere, the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. On the other hand, when the groove 38 is in register with the passage 40, then steam may at the proper time enter the vacuum tank 13 to have the neutralizing effect described.

By the system and structure described, the

advantagles heretofore set forth may .be

accomplished, and I do not wish to be restricted either to the details ot' structure or to the arrangement of parts shown and described, as these may be variously changed and modified without departing from lthe spirit and scope of my invention.

The active` part of the s stem is of course at the jackets 2, where t e cooling of the engine takes place-by the presence of the cooling liquids in contact with the hot cylinder walls. The inactive lpart of the system is elsewhere, as in the reser oir 8. Thus with my invention, a portion of the suction created by the engine in the fuel intake is utilized to transfer liquids from the inactive to the active portion of the system. Moreoverthis transfer takes place from the inactive portion which is located entirely below the jackets or the active portion.

I claim as my invention: i

1. The method of supplying cooling liquids to a vapor cooling system of an internal combustion engine of the suction and compression t pe, which consists in utilizing a portion o the suction produced by the engine in its fuel 'intake conduit for transferring cooling liquids from an inactive part of the system to an active art thereof adjacent the water jackets oft e engine, and for automatically maintaining the liquids at a substantially predetermined level in the jackets.

2. The method of supplying cooling liquids to a vapor cooling system of an internal combustion engine of the suction and compression type, which consists in utilizing a portion of the suction produced by the engine in its fuel intake conduit for supplying cooling liquids to the active portion of the system from an inactive portion located 'and for automatically maintainin entirely below the level of the active portion, and for automatically maintaining the latter at a substantially predetermined level.

3. The method of supplying cooling liqnids to a vapor cooling system of an internal combustion engine of the suction and compression type, `which consists in utilizing a portion of the' suction produced by the engine in its fuel intake conduit for supplying cooling liquids to the lower portion of the jacket of the engine from a portion of the system located entirely below said jacket,

uids in the jacket at a substantia y predetermined level.

4. 1n a liquid cooling systeni'for internal combustion engines having a jacket, the combination with a supply reservoir included in the system, of suction actuated means includin a tank connected with the suction side of t 1e engine, and conduits connecting the tank with the reservoir and jacket, respectively, in a manner to deliver liquids from the reservoir to the jacket through said tank under the influence of the engine suction thereon, and thereby maintaining a. substantially predetermined level in the jacket.

5. In a liquidcooling system for internalcombustion engmes having a jacket, the combination with a supply reservoir included in the system, of a tank connected with the suction side of the engine, conduits connecting the tank with the reservoir and jacket, respectively, in a manner to deliver iquids from the reservoir to the jacket through the tank under the influence of the engine suction thereon and thereby maintaining a substantially predetermined level in the jacket, and valve means in the tank for controlling the action of the suction thereon in response to the rise and fall of the liquid leve in the jacket.

6. In a liquid cooling system for internal combustion engines having a jacket, the combination with a supply reservoir included in the system, of a tank having vent and suction ports, the latter being connected with the suction side of the engine, conduits con; necting the tank with the reservoir and jacket, respectively, in a manner to deliver iquids from the reservoir to the jacket through the .tank under the influence of the engine suction thereon and thereby maintaining a substantially predetermined level in the jacket, and valve means associated with the tank and having a quick snap action for intermittently opening and closin said ports, in response to the rise and fall o the liquid level 1n the jacket.

7. The combination in a vapor cooling system for an internal combustion engine having a jacket, of a condenser connected with the steam space of the jacket, and a supply reservoir through which all of the the liqcoolin liquids of the system circulate and locate lower than the jacket andconnected with the liquid inlet thereof and with the lower portion of the condenser, respectively, said reservoir having a. capacity to hold a relatively large body of liquid to aid in reducin r the heat of the condensate entering the liquid body from the condenser and thereb permitting liquids to be drawn to a higher point by suction.

8. The combination with the water jacket of an internal combustion engine of the suction and compression type, of a reservoir for the cooling liquids and through which all of the cooling liquids circulate, a discharge conduit leading from said reservoir to the jacket, a conduit for supplying liqi nids to said reservoir from n source at 'a f lower level,- und means for feedingthe liquids through said supply conduit by the suction of the suction producing' means'of the engine.

In testimony whereof I aliix my siglmlnre this '27th day of December, 1926.

LESTER P. BARLOW.

for the cooling liquids and through which all of the cooling liquids circulate, a discharge conduit leading from said reservoir to the jacket, a conduit for supplying liquids to said reservoir from a source nt a lower level," and means for feeding the liquids through said supply conduit hy the suction of the suction producing means of the engine.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature this .lTth day of December, 1926.

LESTER P. BARLUW.

Oertlgeh of Correction.

LESTER P. BARIAOW.

It ishereby certified that error appears in the above-numbered patent requirin correction as follows: In the drawing Fig. 2 should appear as shown below inst/ea Patent No. 1,682,582.

of as shown in the drawing:

Granted June 14, 1927, to

s img @s and that the the samema Signed an [mn] said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oioe. sealed this 4th day of October, A. D. 1927.

M. J. MOORE, Acting Uomms'saioner of Patents.

Certiate of Correction. Puma No. 1,632,582. Gmnd June 14, 1927, to

LESTER P. BARLOW.

It is hereby certiiied that error appears in the above-numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the drawing Fig. 2 should appear as shown below insbea of as shown in the drawing:

and that the said Letters Patent should be read with `this correction therein that the sume may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 4th day of October, A. D. 1927.

[mL] M. J. MOORE,

Acting Uommoner of Patents. 

